November 16
Today in America's Present Past
1676 | First colonial prison organized in Nantucket, Massachusetts
1776 | War of Independence: The Battle of Fort Washington.
1776 | War of Independence: The first gun salute for an American warship in a foreign port. The USS Andrew Doria at St Eustatius on the island of Statia.
1790 | Politician Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer died.
1798 | Congress: The Kentucky legislature passes Resolutions “nullifying” Congresses Alien and Sedition Acts.
1801 | The New York Evening Post debuted.
1806 | Solider, lawyer and politician Moses Cleaveland died.
1841 | Life preservers are patented by Napoleon Guerin.
1863 | Civil War: The Battle of Campbell’s Station, Tennessee.
1873 | Musician W. C. Handy was born.
1881 | Chemist Joel H. Hildebrand was born.
1887 | Architect Philip H. Frohman was born.
1907 | Statehood: Oklahoma granted statehood.
1907 | Actor Burgess Meredith was born.
1914 | The Federal Reserve System formally opened.
1935 | Journalist Elizabeth Drew was born.
1938 | Philosopher Robert Nozick was born.
1939 | SCOTUS: Justice Pierce Butler died.
1939 | Outlaw Al Capone was freed from Alcatraz.
1942 | Actress Donna McKechnie was born in Pontiac, Michigan.
1945 | Yeshiva University was formed.
1950 | Writer John Swartzwelder was born.
1950 | Alcoholics Anonymous co-founder Dr. “Bob” Smith died.
1958 | Journalist Samuel Hopkins Adams died.
1960 | Actor Clark Gable died.
1961 | POTUS: Democrat President Kennedy committed U.S. troops to the conflict in Vietnam.
1961 | Speaker of the House Samuel Rayburn died.
1965 | Walt Disney launches Epcot Center: Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow.
1965 | Magician Harry Blackstone Sr. died.
1967 | Actress Lisa Bonet was born.
1969 | Vietnam War: The 1968 Mỹ Lai massacre was first reported.
1969 | POTUS: Republican Nixon was the first sitting President to attend a NFL game.
1973 | Writer Alan Watts died.
1973 | POTUS: Republican President Nixon authorizes the Alaskan Pipeline.
1977 | Actress Maggie Gyllenhaal was born.
1985 | Cold War: President Reagan and Soviet leader Gorbachev meet at a summit in Geneva, Switzerland.
1987 | Musician Kenny Kravitz and Actress Lisa Bonet wed.
1993 | Actor Pete Davidson was born.
1999 | Microbiologist Daniel Nathans died.
2000 | Rapper Joseph “Joe C” Calleja died.
2001 | Film: “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” debuted.
2006 | Nobel economist Milton Friedman died.